As more people have quit smoking over the past several years, the market for Zippo lighters has begun to decline. While Zippo still remains dominate in the refillable lighter market, a new and broader approach was needed to expand sales. In 2001, Zippo began producing other products. Instead of being single-product business, the time had come for expansion and changes.

The Multi-Purpose Zippo Lighter was the first new product to be released in 2002. This lighter, while not intended for use by a smoker, was aimed towards jobs such as lighting candles, lanterns, fireplaces, grills, and camp fires. While keeping a sharp design, it was able to offer and an adjustable length flame. The new Multi-purpose Zippo Lighter started off strongly that first year by selling an estimated 2 million lighters. With the release of this new product line, many more retailers that formerly didn’t carry Zippo lighters, now carry Zippo products.

Besides only lighter products, Zippo has begun producing pocket knives, watches, bottle openers, flash lights, tape measurers and money clips. Adding these products over the past several years has shown Zippo’s effort to remain competitive in the 21st century. The question is, what will the next new Zippo products be?